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Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who is Diddy? Everything to know about hip-hop mogul facing federal sex crimes trial
Sean "Diddy" Combs, who rocketed to worldwide fame with his musical prowess and business acumen, has been thrust into the legal limelight. A year after becoming the subject of a federal sex-trafficking investigation, the award-winning hip-hop mogul is set to go to trial May 5 on various sex-crimes charges, which collectively claim Combs used his multimedia empire as a criminal enterprise to victimize several people. The court battle also follows a barrage of damning civil lawsuits — spearheaded by a civil complaint from singer and ex-girlfriend Casandra "Cassie" Ventura — that have upended Combs' public persona and accused the rapper of numerous abuses, including sexual assault, rape and physical violence. Despite run-ins with the law stretching back three decades, Combs managed to solidify his status as a pop cultural juggernaut thanks to a steady stream of platinum albums, hit TV shows and retail ventures that included a fashion label and alcoholic beverages line. Combs has denied all allegations against him and pleaded not guilty to the five criminal counts he faces. Here's a look back at the hip-hop icon's life, career and fall from grace. In September 2024, Combs was arrested in New York based on an indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. He was subsequently charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Federal authorities claimed Combs turned his "multi-faceted business empire" into a "criminal enterprise" in which he and his associates engaged in kidnapping, arson and physical violence, sex trafficking and forced labor, among other alleged crimes. A superseding indictment filed April 3 — the third revised indictment following an amended indictment in January and a superseding indictment in March — charged him with two additional counts: one of sex trafficking and one of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Despite repeated attempts at bail, Combs was ordered to remain in custody at the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center ahead of his May 5 trial — a ruling his legal team has challenged. He's been in jail since his arrest on Sept. 16, 2024. Diddy on trial newsletter: Step inside the courtroom as rapper faces sex crimes, trafficking charges Combs got his start in the music industry in the early 1990s as an intern — and later talent director — at Uptown Records, where he worked with emerging acts such as Mary J. Blige and Jodeci. He then founded his own music label, Bad Boy Records, in 1993. The company has sold over 500 million records, produced 38 platinum singles and earned multiple Grammy Awards, according to the official website for Combs Global. The Bad Boy founder, under the stage name Puff Daddy, launched a solo music career in the summer of 1997 with the album "No Way Out." The hip-hop LP, which featured the No. 1 hit "I'll Be Missing You," sold 7 million copies and earned Combs a pair of Grammys for best rap album and best rap performance by a duo or group. Combs has also gone by the aliases Puffy, Puff, P. Diddy, Diddy, Love and Brother Love. Combs' showbiz success wasn't limited to the radio airwaves. He proved himself a television personality when he took on the reality-TV franchise "Making the Band." The talent competition series spawned Combs-produced groups including Danity Kane, Da Band and Day26. In the fashion world, Combs struck gold with his Sean John line, which launched with a sportswear collection in 1998. The style retailer, which expanded to include accessories, fragrances and footwear, won Combs a Council of Fashion Designers of America Award in 2004 for menswear designer of the year, the first Black designer to earn the honor. As an entrepreneur, Combs also found success in the spirits world, collaborating with British beverage maker Diageo on its vodka brand Cîroc in a since-terminated "equal-share venture." As a producer, Combs helped define the sound of '90s hip-hop by crafting hits for the likes of The Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey and Faith Evans, such as "Juicy," "Real Love," "Honey" and "You Used to Love Me." Combs' musical prowess seamlessly carried over to his solo act. The rapper has amassed 15 top 10 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, which include the No. 1 hits "I'll Be Missing You," "Mo Money Mo Problems," "Shake Ya Tailfeather," "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" and "Bump, Bump, Bump." Combs is not married, although he has had several longterm relationships. The rapper's most enduring romance was with model-actress Kimberly Porter, who died of pneumonia in November 2018. The on-again, off-again couple officially called it quits in 2007 after 13 years of dating, but the two remained friendly, often spending holidays together. Combs also dated R&B singer Ventura in the mid-2000s. The two became involved professionally and sexually when Ventura was 19 and Combs was 36. Their relationship spanned a decade. Combs' most recent high-profile relationship was with rapper Caresha Brownlee, better known as Yung Miami from the rap duo City Girls. Brownlee, who was first linked to Combs in 2021, confirmed she was single in an April 2023 interview with The Cut. Ventura accused the rapper of rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse in a November 2023 civil lawsuit. After being lured into an "ostentatious, fast-paced and drug-fueled lifestyle" and romantic relationship with Combs, the singer claimed he "took control" of her life, ranging from her healthcare to her career opportunities, and plied her with drugs and alcohol. Combs also allegedly raped Ventura in 2018 and forced the singer into "repeated unwanted sexual encounters" with male prostitutes who he hired and recorded their encounters, per the lawsuit. Ventura and Combs settled the legal matter one day later. Combs has seven children. He had his first biological son, Justin Combs, 31, with fashion designer and stylist Misa Hylton. The rapper shared four children with longtime girlfriend Porter, including Porter's son Quincy Brown, 33, whom she had with R&B singer-songwriter Al B. Sure! The couple's other children include son Christian "King" Combs, 27, and twin daughters D'Lila and Jessie Combs, 18. Combs has two other daughters: 18-year-old Chance Combs, whom he shares with businesswoman Sarah Chapman, and 2-year-old Love from his relationship with model and cybersecurity specialist Dana Tran. On March 25, 2024, Homeland Security Investigations agents raided Combs' Los Angeles home. Agents also searched Combs' Miami residence at that time, Rolling Stone, NBC News and The Associated Press reported. A Homeland Security Investigations spokesperson later told USA TODAY that the agency's New York branch "executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation." Authorities have since confirmed the searches were part of a state sex trafficking investigation. Just three months before the kickoff of Combs' trial, attorney Anthony Ricco withdrew from the rapper's legal team on Feb. 21. Ricco declined to offer the specific details that led to the decision, but he said in a statement: "Although I have provided Sean Combs with the high level of legal representation expected by the court, under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs." Despite Ricco's resignation, Combs' defense received a boost on April 17 when Georgia-based attorney Brian Steel joined the case, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. Steel previously represented rap star Young Thug during his RICO trial. During a September 2024 press conference, U.S. attorney Damian Williams detailed the paraphernalia discovered during the federal raids of Combs' homes. The items included multiple AR-15 guns, large-capacity magazines, "evidence" of Combs' alleged sex crimes and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant. According to Combs' original indictment, the baby oil bottles were used during the hip-hop mogul's alleged "freak off" parties, which were described as "elaborate and produced sex performances" that involved sex workers. Combs and his employees conducted freak offs by booking hotel rooms and stocking them with supplies such as baby oil, lube, extra bedsheets and lighting, per the indictment. The rapper allegedly "arranged, directed" and "masturbated" during these sometimes dayslong "performances," and drugs were reportedly distributed to victims, in part, to keep them "obedient and compliant." Contributing: Naledi Ushe, Anna Kaufman, Taijuan Moorman, Cydney Henderson and KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Diddy? What to know about hip-hop mogul facing sex crimes trial
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘P Diddy would rather die than let go of rights to Biggie Smalls' music': How Diddy was at the epicentre of both Tupac and Biggie's death
When DJ Kool Herc invited his friends to help him MC a party for his sister, an important branch of hip-hop was born: rap. A genre that has facilitated revolution and restitution for half a century, a genre that introduced the world to Lauryn Hill's cadence, Wu-Tang Clan's collaborative precision, Eminem's controversy and Tupac's honesty. Among the greatest to ever pick up the pen and mic was Christopher George Latore Wallace, better known as Biggie Smalls or The Notorious B.I.G. A chubby and angry kid from New York, who decided to take over the world of storytelling and music, 16 bars at a time. Just like so many other artistes, though, there was a man behind the curtain, pulling all the strings, and for Biggie, that man was Sean Combs, better known as Diddy. Biggie naturally took to creative writing, something that took Diddy decades to realise he couldn't do. It's a tale as old as time that budding artists with rough childhoods have an affinity for being discovered by manipulative executives, and Biggie's first demo tape found its way to the desk of Diddy, who was, of course, an upstanding and law-abiding man by all standards. After being fired from Uptown Records (of course, no fault of his own), Diddy decided to helm Bad Boy Records, a label that decided to take RnB and rap artists from the streets of the East Coast to the big dance. He signed Biggie, and he took this opportunity by the throat, as his first breakout track, 'Party and Bullshit', appeared on the soundtrack for the film Who's The Man (1993). ALSO READ: Remembering Eric 'Eazy-E' Wright: A pioneer of hip-hop gone too soon Biggie started climbing the stairs to success almost too fast, and a 21-year-old kid needs guidance in order to deal with that kind of fame and money. Just like Jerry Heller for NWA and the Colonel for Elvis, Diddy stepped into that role. He became Biggie's consigliere, and though the setting and intensity of this story might be similar to The Godfather, Diddy was no Robert Duvall. All this would soon start coming to light, as Biggie became more of a household name and his contemporaries and peers started seeing him for who he really was, one of the most gifted MCs to ever pick up the microphone. To put Biggie's relationship with Tupac in the Indian context, Mirza Ghalib, one of the most recognisable Urdu poets of all time, had Mohammad Ibrahim Zauq as a competitor. A court poet of the emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, Zauq and Ghalib often used to take shots at one another, and while it wasn't exactly like the rap battles at the end of 8 Mile, both pushed each other to be better. As Biggie made a name for himself with his debut album, Ready to Die, Pac started viewing him as a peer, even though he already had two successful albums making the rounds of every music store in the country. While both men are considered by many to be equals, when it comes to storytelling through music, there was one thing that Tupac was better at than Biggie, and that was reading people. He saw through Diddy from their very first meeting, and according to hip-hop photographer Monique Bunn, Pac viewed Diddy as a 'corny executive', and even after several attempts made by the latter to befriend the California rapper, Pac wasn't interested. His relationship with Biggie grew stronger, but as the months passed, a certain incident would sow the first seed in one of the biggest and most destructive feuds in hip-hop history. ALSO READ: Frank Sinatra 'facilitated' John F Kennedy's other life, but couldn't outrun his mafia connections: The rise and ruin of their unlikely friendship While fighting a trial for sexual abuse, Pac travelled to Quad Records in Manhattan in order to record a few songs in order to manage his growing expenses. Here, the rapper was confronted by three armed men, who robbed him and shot him 5 times, and it did not help that this happened on Biggie's turf. Like it or not, the West and the East division matters in hip-hop; it is a line in the sand, which only a few rappers have dared cross, and Pac getting shot 'behind enemy lines' was a major step back in relations between the two coasts. After recovery, Pac was found guilty and was jailed, and on the other side of the wall, Biggie was now surrounded by only yes-men and, of course, Diddy, who had his golden goose all to himself. The fallout of the shooting was bad for safety but good for business, as Biggie and Pac both released diss tracks, and both songs broke the charts. The feud continued until September 7, 1996, when Pac was shot dead while travelling in his BMW with Death Row record label exec Suge Knight. Though reports suggested that Diddy's associated were involved in the shooting, he was never convicted. Just like his contemporary on the other side of the country, Biggie's career was short-lived too, as the rapper was assassinated just a year later, in Los Angeles, California. After his death, Diddy fought to regain the rights to Biggie's music, and according to an exec from the record label, he went on record and said, 'I will never give it up until I'm dead and my bones are crushed into powder.' After Pac's death, Biggie had started wising up, and wanted to leave Bad Boy Records, but Diddy wouldn't let him. Rolling Stone magazine had even offered putting Biggie on the cover after his death, but Diddy refused, and said he wanted to be on the cover to promote his debut album, 'No Way Out.' At the end of it, no matter how tragic their deaths were, all one wants to do is remember the things they did when they were alive. None of them were close to perfect, but somehow a gangster and a fiend found themselves perched up right at the top of hip-hop history. Most artists or rappers have multi-decade careers, their fan base spanning across several generations due to their longevity. But Pac and Biggie were active for a combined 8 years, and yet they did more for the genre than anyone ever could. While we acknowledge what manipulative managers or record executives have done to the careers and personal lives of artists, no one will remember the Colonel or Yeller, just like no one will remember Diddy for being an exec. We will remember Biggie, though. We will pray that on a cold winter evening, when our joints are old and hearing is weak, someone from the next generation will ask us, Who was he? The chubby, angry kid from New York, who ruled the world from his 'Life After Death'.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy and Ex-Girlfriend Misa Hylton's Relationship Timeline
Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Misa Hylton welcomed one child before calling it quits decades ago. Diddy connected with Hylton in the early 1990s as they were at the start of their respective careers. Diddy started off as an intern at Uptown Records while Hylton was a budding stylist. As the pair began to make a name for themselves in the industry, Hylton became pregnant with her and Diddy's first child. In 1993, they welcomed son Justin Combs. Shortly after Justin's arrival, Diddy and Hylton split. After their breakup, Diddy moved on with Kim Porter, with whom he shared son Christian Combs and twins D'Lila and Jessie. (Diddy also adopted Porter's son Quincy Taylor Brown. Porter died in 2018.) Diddy also shares daughter Chance Combs with ex Sarah Chapman and daughter Love Combs with ex Dana Tran. Diddy's Family Guide: Meet the Rapper's Children and Their Mothers Hylton, for her part, was married to JoJo Brim from 1995 to 1999. They share son Niko and daughter Madison. While Hylton and Diddy began their families with other partners, the exes remained coparented Justin for years. Keep scrolling to relive their relationship timeline: 'We were dating at the time and he had just went from intern to A&R,' Hylton told BET in March 2023. 'He had a new position at Uptown Records and he was in charge of putting together the album musically but also for their look.' Hylton shared that she worked with Diddy as his assistant after she finished her school day. Diddy returned the favor by giving Hylton her first solo project: styling Jodeci for his 'Gotta Love' music video. She opted to put the musician in streetwear and changed how R&B musicians would style their looks in the future. The twosome welcomed Justin in December 1993. During a 2017 appearance on 'The Premium Pete Show' podcast, Hylton shared that she and Diddy broke up shortly after Justin's arrival because the music mogul wasn't ready to settle down as his career was starting to take off. The exes reunited to celebrate Justin's 16th birthday. Diddy organized a star-studded bash in New York City for the occasion. The trio posed for a family picture on the red carpet. Hylton attended Diddy's 50th birthday celebration in Los Angeles. The fashion designer raised eyebrows after she posted a series of cryptic posts after Justin was arrested for a DUI. (Justin was booked with a misdemeanor and released on a $5,000 bond.) 'I'm not protecting no one anymore, just my son 💯,' she wrote via her Instagram Story at the time. 'The statement 'a fish rots from the head down' means that, in addition to being a major contributing factor in a family or organization's success, leadership is also the root cause of its failure and demise. The Truth shall set you free.' When Diddy's homes were raided by homeland security, Justin and brother Christian were present for the investigation at their family's Los Angeles home. Hylton spoke out against law enforcement and claimed they executed 'overzealous and overtly militarized force.' '[The force] used against my sons Justin and Christian is deplorable. If these were the sons of a non-Black celebrity, they would not have been handled with the same aggression,' she wrote via Instagram alongside footage from the incident. 'The attempt to humiliate and terrorize these innocent young BLACK MEN is despicable!' As Diddy's legal troubles continued, a video of Diddy assaulting then-girlfriend Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura in 2016 surfaced. Hylton voiced her support for Cassie at the time. 'I am heartbroken that Cassie must relive the horror of her abuse, and my heart goes out to her. I know exactly how she feels, and through my empathy, it has triggered my own trauma,' Hylton wrote via Instagram. 'These young people were raised by women that want the best for them — we put God and education first and have always been united in our mutual effort to support their dreams. Two of the youngest do not have their mother here and it has been our duty to support them. Their father needs help and I am praying that he truly does the personal work and receives it.' On May 12, Hylton stepped out in New York City to attend the opening day of Diddy's sex trafficking and racketeering trial. The rap mogul faced charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. Diddy pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied the allegations against him. Hylton — who was using a walker during her public outing — was joined by her and Diddy's son, Justin Combs, at the hearing. After appearing publicly in court, Hylton took to social media to explain and defend her appearance. 'When I suffered my injury, I had chosen to heal privately but when my son said 'Mommy I need you' I was right there for him walker and all,' Hylton wrote via Instagram on May 17. 'I'm a MOTHER FIRST, FOR REAL and I am my son's strength and thats just what it is. Plain and Simple. Whoever doesn't understand that just simply isn't in alignment with me or anything that I'm about in life.'
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Who is Kim Porter? What to know about Sean 'Diddy' Combs' late girlfriend and 'soulmate'
Who is Kim Porter? What to know about Sean 'Diddy' Combs' late girlfriend and 'soulmate' Show Caption Hide Caption Defense strategies for Sean 'Diddy' Combs in his sex crimes trial A legal expert discusses strategies the defense attorneys for Sean "Diddy" Combs might use in his federal sex crimes trial. Kim Porter and Sean "Diddy" Combs were something of a pop culture power couple, and their decade-long romance is still taking center stage. Porter, the late model-actress who dated the hip-hop mogul from 1994 to 2007, has been referenced during Combs' ongoing criminal trial in Manhattan — in which Combs, 55, is accused of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Porter's enduring romance with the Bad Boy Records founder was brought up when Combs' former girlfriend, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine, took the stand. The one-time R&B star, whose relationship with Combs also spanned a decade, got candid on her feelings toward Porter as she opened up about the harrowing abuse she allegedly experienced from Combs. From her hip-hop love story with Combs to her tragic 2018 death, here's everything you need to know about Kim Porter. How did Diddy and Kim Porter meet? Porter met Combs in the 1990s when he was an A&R executive at Uptown Records. At the time, Porter was dating R&B singer-songwriter Al B. Sure!, who was signed to the label. "The first time I saw her, she was at the studio with her ex-boyfriend," Combs told Essence magazine in a 2006 interview. "I wasn't trying to holler at her or anything, but I was admiring her — her lips, her eyes, her mouth, her shape, her energy — and thinking, 'I wish I had a girl like that.'" Porter was later hired as a receptionist at the pioneering hip-hop record label, which set the stage for a budding romance. "She was smooth, you know, like ice," Combs told the outlet. "She's cool and collected and thinks before she speaks. You meet a lot of young ladies, and they just don't do that. Kim was never pressed; she was always in control." The on-again, off-again couple officially called it quits in 2007 after 13 years of dating, but the two remained friendly, often spending holidays together. Do Diddy and Kim Porter have kids? Porter and Combs shared four children, including Porter's son Quincy Brown, 33, whom she had with Al B. Sure! The couple's other children include son Christian "King" Combs, 27, and twin daughters D'Lila and Jessie Combs, 18. Who are Sean 'Diddy' Combs' kids? These family members attended his sex-crimes trial How did Kim Porter die? Porter died in November 2018 at the age of 47 after she was found unresponsive in her San Fernando Valley home. The Los Angeles County coroner's office later confirmed she died of pneumonia. Combs mourned Porter and paid tribute to their tight-knit bond in an emotional Instagram post shared just days after her unexpected death. "We were more than best friends, we were more than soulmates," wrote Combs, who called Porter's death a "nightmare." "And I miss you so much. Super Black Love." Kim Porter dies: Model, Diddy's ex-girlfriend was 47 What has Cassie said about Kim Porter? During her May 15 testimony, Ventura Fine said she had "some jealousy" toward Porter, and jurors were shown a series of text messages from 2013 in which she was upset at seeing Porter and Combs with their children and not being invited to family vacations and get-togethers. She also expressed concern about looking like a "side piece" and not Combs' partner. While taking the stand on May 16, Ventura Fine said the last time she saw Combs was at Porter's memorial service in Georgia. She told the defense she found it "extremely hurtful" when Combs called Porter his "soulmate" on social media, which she confronted Combs about over text message. Contributing: Cydney Henderson; USA TODAY staff
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial: Timeline of the rise and fall of the music mogul
For more than two decades, Sean "Diddy" Combs was one of hip-hop's most opportunistic entrepreneurs, spinning his hitmaking talents into a broad business empire that included a record label, a fashion brand, a TV network, deals with liquor companies and a key role in a reality TV show. But U.S. prosecutors say behind the scenes, Combs was coercing and abusing women with assistance from a network of associates who helped silence victims through blackmail and violence. Combs has pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations. Testimony in his trial began Monday. Here is a timeline of major events in his rise and fall: 1990 - 1999 1990 : Combs, then a student at Howard University, gets his start in the music business with an internship at Uptown Records in New York. Dec. 28, 1991: Nine people die at a celebrity basketball game promoted by Combs and the rapper Heavy D when thousands of fans try to get into a gym at the City College of New York. A mayoral report lays part of the blame for the catastrophe on poor planning by Combs. 1992: Combs is one of the executive producers on "What's the 411?," the debut album by Mary J. Blige. 1993: After being fired by Uptown, Combs establishes his own label, Bad Boy, which quickly cuts a lucrative deal with Arista Records. 1994: Bad Boy releases Notorious B.I.G.'s album "Ready to Die." Two months later, Tupac Shakur survives a shooting in New York and accuses Combs and Biggie of having prior knowledge of the attack, which they deny. Shakur was later killed in a 1996 shooting in Las Vegas. The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die (Official Audio) 1996: Combs is convicted of criminal mischief after he allegedly threatened a photographer with a gun. 1997: Biggie is killed in Los Angeles. Combs, then known as Puff Daddy , releases "I'll be Missing You" in honor of his slain star. Puff Daddy [feat. Faith Evans & 112] - I'll Be Missing You (Official Music Video) 1998: Combs wins two Grammys, one for best ralbum for his debut "No Way Out" and another for best rap performance by a duo or group for "I'll Be Missing You" with Faith Evans. Also that year, Combs' Sean John fashion line is founded. April 16, 1999: Combs and his bodyguards are charged with attacking Interscope Records music executive Steve Stoute in his New York office in a dispute over a music video. Combs is sentenced to an anger management course. Dec. 27, 1999: Combs is arrested on gun possession charges after he and his girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Lopez , fled a shooting that wounded three people at a New York City nightclub. Some witnesses tell police Combs was among the people shooting in the club. He is later charged with offering his driver $50,000 to claim ownership of the 9 mm handgun found in his car. 2001 - 2008 March 17, 2001: Combs is acquitted of all charges related to the nightclub shooting. One of his rap proteges, Jamal "Shyne" Barrows, is convicted in the shooting and serves nearly nine years in prison. Two weeks after the trial, Combs announces he wants to be known as P. Diddy. 2002: Combs becomes the producer and star of "Making the Band," a talent search TV show. Feb. 1, 2004: Combs performs at the Super Bowl halftime show along with Janet Jackson , Justin Timberlake and others. A week later, Combs, Nelly and Murphy Lee win a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group for "Shake Ya Tailfeather." April, 2004: Combs makes his Broadway acting debut in "A Raisin in the Sun." 2005: Combs announces he is changing his stage name to Diddy, getting rid of the P. March, 2008: Combs settles a lawsuit brought by a man who claims Combs punched him after a post-Oscar party outside a Hollywood hotel the previous year. In May, Combs is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 2015 - 2022 2015 : Combs is arrested after a confrontation on the campus of UCLA, where one of his sons played football. Assault charges are later dropped. 2016: Combs launches a Harlem charter school, the Capital Preparatory School. Also that year, he announces he is donating $1 million to Howard University. 2017: Combs is named the top earner on Forbes' list of the 100 highest-paid celebrities, which says he brought in $130 million in a single year. 2018: Kim Porter , Combs' former girlfriend and the mother of three of his children, dies from pneumonia at age 47. 2022: Combs receives a lifetime honor at the BET Awards. 2023 - 2025 Sept. 15, 2023: Combs releases "The Love Album - Off the Grid," his first solo studio project since 2006's chart-topping "Press Play." Nov. 16, 2023: R&B singer Cassie sues Combs, alleging he subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape. A day later, the lawsuit is settled under undisclosed terms. Combs, through his attorney, denies the accusations. Nov. 23, 2023: Two more women accuse Combs of sexual abuse in lawsuits. Combs' attorneys call the allegations false. Dozens of additional lawsuits follow by women and men who accuse Combs of rape, sexual assault and other attacks. Plaintiffs include singer Dawn Richard , a "Making the Band" contestant who alleged years of psychological and physical abuse. Combs denies all the allegations. March 25, 2024: Federal agents search Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach, Florida. May 17, 2024: CNN airs video that shows Combs attacking and beating Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. Two days later, Combs posts videos on social media apologizing for the assault. Sept. 16, 2024: Combs is arrested at his Manhattan hotel. A sex trafficking and racketeering indictment unsealed the next day accuses him of using his business empire to coerce women into participating in sexual performances. Combs denies the allegations. His attorney calls it an unjust prosecution of an "imperfect person." May 5, 2025: Jury selection began for Combs' trial. May 12, 2025: A jury is selected and testimony begins in Combs' trial. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . And don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
